Rainbow Dialogues: Elevating the stories of LGBTQIA+ communities in India
In India as in the United States, the current climate surrounding efforts to secure and protect the rights of LGBTQIA+ communities is tense. While queerness has gradually become accepted in some parts of the country, it continues to be feared and misunderstood in others, where community members face relentless verbal and physical abuse. Many LGBTQIA+ individuals are reluctant to be visible or speak out publicly, for fear that they will be harmed or discriminated against, not only in educational and workplace settings, but within their own families.
The Rainbow Stories project has supported storytelling for queer communities in East and Northeast India. Led by Silence Speaks and Bridge India, Rainbow Stories created a unique participatory storytelling methodology that enables participants to critically analyze media representations and explore their own unique forms of creative expression through collage, performance, and filmmaking. Community building activities woven through the workshop process spark connection, enhance wellbeing, and create networks of social support among storytellers. The videos created in our two workshops held thus far are being circulated via social media and in small, in-person gatherings, to increase awareness of the challenges experienced by LGBTQIA+ communities in home, school, and workplace settings, and advocate for queer rights across India. View selected examples below and find more on our YouTube channel.
Special thanks to the U.S. Embassy New Delhi, India, for supporting this effort.